


For Now, For Always

by scb17



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 12:06:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2024541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scb17/pseuds/scb17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meryl and Charlie thought they'd set up the perfect plan to never cross paths...but one small detail could bring them back to each other for the rest of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where It All Begins

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wanted to start this next week, since being responsible for a story is a lot of work, and I wanted a little break. But, I found myself with nothing to do, and with all the requests I'd gotten, I decided to start it now. Since I'm working at a summer camp, updates will probably only be on weekends. Also, since it's the first chapter, I won't reveal much. I'll do that later on. This one's short, but only because it's an intro.

It was perfect. Everything was perfect. The smooth jazz that played throughout the deck; the soft chatter buzzed throughout the room.

           The calm waves crashed against the ship. The echo of the trumpet blended in magically with the piano. Everyone was smiling, especially the two people in the center—the main attraction.

The petite and graceful woman had hazel-green eyes that reflected the moonlight in them. Her long, brown hair was swept to the side, naturally curling itself at the end, one side pinned up by a crystal hairpiece. Her nails were a shimmering clear, that you could see shine of the sky in them, and her lips were as pink and happy as her cheeks. Her smile was as wide as the sea she was riding on, and her dress spun in ruffles around her feet as she spun around trustingly in the arms of her partner.

 

_At last_

_My love has come along_

_My lonely days are over_

_And life is like a song_

_At last_

 

            Her partner had the curly hair of a lion, and the energy of a Golden Retriever. His blue eyes matched the colors of the water and the shine of the stars. He didn’t pay much attention to the bowtie, no matter how uncomfortable it felt. He moved swiftly on the floor below him to keep up with his partner, but again he didn’t mind. He was used to going after her, because he knew she’d never go too far away. His smile formed crinkles at the side of his eyes, but the love he had in them stopped them from adding 10 years to his face.

_The skies above are blue_

_My heart was wrapped up in clover_

_The night I looked at you_

Around them, there were clinking glasses, people smiling and watching the pair, others talking about them. It was an overall cheerful atmosphere that only seemed to get cheerier by the second.

           The couple stopped dancing, going over to sit by their table; the guests filling up the empty floor space.

_I found a dream, that I could speak to_

_A dream that I can call my own_

_I found a thrill to press my cheek to_

_A thrill that I have never known_

* * *

 Even under the table, their hands met, two gold bands being the only thing keeping them from a tighter grasp.

           Neither of them said a word; they only looked at each other with more love in their eyes than anyone could measure.

“How about a picture?” one of the photographers asked, coming over to the table.

           The bride and groom looked at each other before turning to the photographer and nodding.

“Great! Now, if you could just turn and face each other,” the instructed. “Maybe the bride could put her elbow on the table and her cheek in her hand…the groom place his hand on her elbow…”

           The bride and groom did as instructed, barely aware of the photographer’s words.

_You smiled, you smiled_

_Oh and then the spell was cast_

_And here we are in heaven_

_For you are mine..._

_At last_

The camera flashed. “Got it!” the photographer walked away, but the bride and groom still kept their pose.

           “I love you, Meryl.”

“I love you, too, Charlie.”


	2. What We Came Here For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two very important people arrive at the same place on the same day--and they have no idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, and the story begins to unravel! It might make sense for you, it might not. That is the beauty of this story. You never know exactly what's happening.  
> Also, to be clear, Tanith and Charlie never dated, or even knew each other. And Meryl and Charlie are the only Olympians. Tessa, Scott, and Tanith are not Olympians, for story purposes.

_15 years later_

_June, 2029_

 

“Don’t be nervous,” Tessa soothed.  “You’ll be fine. You’re gonna have a great time!”

           “Thanks, Aunt Tessa,” the girl smiled back from the seat across Tessa.

Tessa smiled and leaned forward. “Driver? Yeah, it’s right around the corner. Yeah, this is good, thank you.” she turned to the girl beside her. “Ready, Mads?”

           Maddie smiled. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Tessa laughed. “Okay, I’ll go check you in. You go pick up your bags.”

            She watched as Tessa made her way to the front office before taking a deep breath and stepping out of the car. It was a bright sunny June day, but it wasn’t so hot out that it would make training unbearable. She went over to the giant pile of bags set under a sign labeled ‘T-Z’ and began looking for hers. When she did, she realized it had been put near the bottom. She tried everything to pull it out, but no amount of weight lifting could prepare her for it. Damn, how many people had a last name that began with T-Z?

“Need any help?” a girl came by, her own bag slung over her shoulder.

           “Um, yeah, it’s that red one down there,” she pointed.

“That one? Oh, no problem!” she put her own bag on the ground and pulled the red bag out in a matter of seconds.

           “Wow! Uh, thanks. I would’ve never been able to take that out.”

The other girl smiled. “Thanks. I’m Dana, by the way. Dana Preston.” She held her hand out.

           “Madelyn White,” she replied, taking Dana's outstretched hand.

“Which cabin are you in?”

           “Uh…Vancouver, I think.”

“Oh, me too! So is Kaylie!”

           “What's this talk about me?” Kaylie said, coming over with a laugh.

Dana turned around. “Madelyn over here is in our cabin.”

           Maddie smiled, holding her hand out. “Madelyn White. But you can call me Maddie.”

Kaylie hauled her bag to her left shoulder and stuck out her right hand. “Kaylie Samuels.”

           “Maddie!” Tessa called. “Oh, I see you’ve made some new friends. Hi.” Kaylie and Dana waved happily. Maddie laughed. “Anyway, you're all checked in.” Tessa looked at her watch. “And _I_ have to go! Bye, Mads,” Tessa said taking the 15-year-old brunette in her arms. “Have fun, okay?” Maddie nodded, hugging her back tightly.

“Alright let’s go!” Kaylie exclaimed.

           “Where?” Maddie asked, laughing.

“The rink, duh,” Dana replied teasingly. “Before everyone gets here and they have to set up time slots. And before lunch!”

* * *

 “Okay, you have your skates, your clothes, your phone, and your bags are already here and you are…done,” Scott declared, checking off a list in his notepad.

           The girl beside him rolled her eyes. “Uncle Scott, was the notepad really necessary? If I’m anything like my mother, and according to you—I am—I don’t think I need a notepad to pack for camp.”

“Yes, but I do, because I’m very disorganized and I needed to get rid of you as soon as possible,” he teased, nudging the girl with his elbow.”

           “Oh, hush. You're gonna miss me and you know it.”

“Of course I will! Al, for the past fifteen years of my life I’ve been running around a tiny, energetic, brunette who is as unpredictable as her mother. And now I have 10 weeks off from that? If I’m not gonna see you for that long you better have enough fun for the both of us, you hear me?”

           The girl laughed. “Yes, Uncle Scott. I will,” she promised as they both got out of the car.

“Now, your mom sent over a present for you.” Scott reached into a bag and pulled out a sparkling light blue dress. “She wore it at THE ICE. Let’s see if someone can actually beat your ass a dance competition!”

           “Unlikely, but we’ll see,” the girl played along.

Scott smiled. “Bye, Allie.”

           Allie hugged Scott fiercely. “Bye, Uncle Scott. You better be at that airport when I get back. No pranks.”

Scott laughed. “Okay, fine. Fine.”

* * *

 Allie walked into her cabin. “Look it’s the other girl!” one of the girls exclaimed, her mouth full of granola bar. She bounced off the bed and cleared her throat, sticking her hand out. “Lila Carson. You must be Addison?”

           “Allison, actually. Allison Davis. But you can call me Allie. Is this the Sochi cabin?”

“Yup! There must be a typo on the roster, then. This is Paige, by the way.” Lila pointed to the left, where Paige was dancing in twirls, her headphones placed tightly on her head.

           “Uh, hi…”

Paige stopped turning. “Oh, sorry. I’m trying to get this new set of twizzles down. I’m Paige Lawrence,” she reached over and shook Allie’s hand.

           “Allie Davis.”

“Hey, you wouldn’t be—”

           “Meryl Davis’ daughter? Yeah, she's my mom. I get that a lot. Apparently I look like her.”

“Are you serious?” Lila asked in disbelief, looking to an equally puzzled Paige before turning back to Allie. “You totally do. Except for the blue eyes.”

           Allie shrugged. “I’m not sure where I get those, actually. Mom doesn’t have blue eyes.”

“Your dad?” Lila inquired.

           Allie shook her head. “Never met him. He probably doesn’t even know I exist.”

“Oh. Sorry about that,” Paige told her.

           Allie shook it off.

“Well…” Paige began, trying to change the subject. “Lila and I are going to the dance studio to do some choreography. You wanna come?”

           “Sure! Just let me change.”

“Into lululemon?” Lila asked, pointing to the sports clothes in Allie’s hands.

           “I guess it’s genetic,” Allie replied with a laugh.

* * *

 When Allie, Lila, and Paige arrived at the dance studio, Allie felt a chill do gown her spine.

           “God, why the hell is it so cold here?”

Paige laughed. “The rink is behind that glass wall.”

           “Oh…well let’s get started before I freeze.”

 

While practicing synchronized twizzles, Allie noticed a figure on the other side mirroring her exact movements. She had the same ensemble, and her matching brown waves flew in the air around her.

           Allie stopped spinning, and almost fell over. So did the other figure. Allie approached the glass, as did the other figure. At first she thought it was a mirror, but when she looked into the other girl’s eyes, she felt a shock in her body and immediately jumped back. Paige and Lila stopped dancing and paused the music.

           “What the hell was that?” Lila demanded.

“Did you just see that?!” Allie asked hysterically.

           “See what? The skaters?” Paige interrogated.

“No, no! There was a girl there who looked _exactly_ like me, I swear!”

           “You're probably a little jet-lagged,” Lila reasoned.

“Or your reflection,” Paige offered.

           “It’s a long way from New York,” Lila reminded her. “Let’s take it from the top.”

“I swear she was there,” Allie mumbled, getting up off the ground.

* * *

 “Did you not just see that?!” Maddie shrieked, crashing into the boards.

           “See what?” Dana asked, throwing herself into an axel.

“The—the—she…the…girl…”

           “You know there's a dance studio on the other side of that glass wall?” Kaylie asked.

“No, I swear to God, there was a girl who looked exactly like me.”

           “Um…your reflection?” Dana teased.

“That’s what I thought, but then I got this chill in my body and I fucked up that twizzle.”

           “You were probably just hallucinating. Maybe you were going too fast,” Kaylie explained. “Come on,” she continued, taking Maddie's hand and pulling her up. “Let’s try those again.”

“I swear she was there,” Maddie muttered, pushing off to gain momentum.

* * *

 “I am _starving,_ ” Lila declared, bursting into the cafeteria.

           “Leave some food for us, will ya?” Kaylie taunted.

Lila rolled her eyes. “If you're lucky.” She scanned the room before declaring. “I’m getting pizza.”

           “I’m getting tacos,” Kaylie added.

“I’m getting Italian,” Allie announced.

           “Meet back at table 14?” Lila asked. Kaylie and Allie nodded, and they all went their separate ways.

 

A couple doors over, Paige pushed open the door. “I’m getting sushi. I’m too hungry to think. Meet you back at table 14.” She darted for the sushi table, leaving her friends laughing.

           “I’m gonna get a burger,” Dana informed Maddie. “What are you gonna get?”

“Um…Italian,” she decided.

           “Kay. See you in a bit.”

* * *

 Allie made her way to the right side of the Italian table, Maddie on the left side. They were both in the center of the table, piling extras like breadsticks and grated cheese onto their plates when the camp director, Marina, came over.

           “Excuse me, ladies,” she said in her thick accent. “I just have to get some oregano. Would you like some?” she asked, turning to Allie.

Allie shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t. I’m allergic.” She picked up her tray and walked over to her table.

           “What about you?” Marina asked, turning to Maddie.

“Oh, I wish I could. I’m allergic.”

           “Allergic, allergic, yes. You just told—” Marina whipped her head back to the right, and then back left, where Maddie had already left. “Where did she go?” she asked herself.

* * *

 “I have never seen someone love Italian food as much as you,” Dana declared.

           “I’m not sure where I get it, to be honest. My dad likes sushi more.”

“Your dad is Charlie White, right?” Kaylie confirmed. “The ice dancer?”

           Maddie nodded.

“Maybe you get it from your mom, then?” Dana offered.

           “I actually…I don’t have a mom. She didn’t die or anything, I just…never met her.”

           “Oh, I'm sorry,” Kaylie said softly, unsure of what to do.

Maddie pulled out her fork from her napkin and shrugged. “For all I know she doesn’t even know who I am,” she said, looking up and popping a garlic knot into her mouth, before choking on it.

            “Oh, my God, Maddie!” Dana whacked her on the back before Maddie spit up the garlic knot. “Are you alright?”

“I saw the girl again.”

           “What girl?” Kaylie asked. “Oh, your alleged doppelganger? Mad, you probably ate that garlic knot too fast. I'm sure it’s nothing.”

Dana nodded. “Yeah, I would try not to worry about it if I were you. You’re not here to worry about people who supposedly look like you, right? You're here to practice. That’s what we’re all here for.”

* * *

 “Oh, my God, is that blood?” Lila shrieked as she saw Paige help clean Allie off. “What, did your meatball attack you?”

           “I saw that in a heartburn commercial once,” Allie offered.

Paige rolled her eyes. “No, she just choked on it. She says she saw that girl again.”

           “The look-alike? Oh, Al, come on. Don’t focus on that. Concentrate on skating. It’s what we came here for.”


	3. What Goes Around Comes Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allie and Maddie finally come face to face, and they get off on the wrong foot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as some of you guessed--this is loosely based on the 1998 version of 'The Parent Trap'. It's one of my favorite movies, but let me remind you that I might change the ending, so don't expect puppies and rainbows throughout this whole thing. (Although with Meryl, you can always expect puppies to come up. Let's be real.)  
> If you pay close attention to both the 1961 and the 1998 versions of the movie, there's a reoccurring song that plays a minor role in the films. I'll have a song like that here, but it won't be the same one.

“Hey, Mad, are you doing this competition thing?” Kaylie asked, pointing to a poster on the main bulletin board.

           “What competition thing?” Maddie asked, bringing her head up from her split on the cabin ground.

“Artistic freestyle. Seems right up your alley. You do ice dance, right?”

           Maddie snorted. “Yeah. Except I do it with my partner.”

“Ooh, a partner?” Dana teased, nudging her with her foot.

           Maddie rolled her eyes. “Shut up. We’re just friends.”

“That’s what they all say,” she mumbled.

           _“Anyway,”_ Maddie continued. “I guess I could compete.”

“Of course you will,” Kaylie declared, popping a grape into her mouth. “It’s in your blood. There's no way you can lose.”

 

Sure enough, Maddie blew through the knockout, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds, beating anyone and everyone who went up against her. She even beat Katie Bates, Evan Bates’ daughter.

           “Alright!” Tara, one of the counselors, exclaimed. “Our reigning and still undefeated champion, Ms. Madelyn White from Detroit, Michigan! Do we have any takers?”

“I’ve got one.” Everyone in the arena turned to Johnny, another one of the counselors. “Allison Davis. Just beat out everyone in her group. Just won the semifinal.”

           “Who'd she beat?” Tara asked.

“Emily Lysacek,” Johnny replied.

           “Oh, wow,” Tara mumbled to herself. “Okay!” she spoke loudly, getting everyone’s attention. “The final round will be in 20 minutes. Davis versus White. Girls, be ready.”

* * *

 “Here are the rules,” Johnny announced. “In the artistic runoff, you will both perform an short, original dance. The piece must have been used at the Games in which your cabin is named for. Davis has Arabian, White has Bollywood. The dance must contain all the required elements. Twizzles, three spins, two step sequences, and since it’s the final, a waltz jump _and_ an axel. Davis is up first.”

 

“Go Allie!” Paige and Lila called out in unison.

           Allie smiled and waved as she took her spot, her mother’s icy blue Scheherazade dress on. Her music began, and Allie gracefully began, choosing to start of with her axel, landing it perfectly. Going into the twizzles, Allie flew past the side of the bench where Maddie was prepping herself. Maddie swore she recognized the music, but decided it was only one of the pieces one of the girls back at the Artic Edge used last season.

Allie finished her program cleanly, almost perfectly, and Maddie felt the pressure sink in. Taking a deep breath, she pushed off the edge of the ice as her name was called out.

           “Let’s go, Maddie!” Dana and Kaylie cheered, and Maddie smiled back weakly.

Maddie took her spot in the middle of the ice, in her red two-piece ensemble that her father had gotten her for Christmas. Her music began playing, and her hands whipped around like an Indian dancer’s would. Her twizzles and step sequences were clean; she found them ironically harder to do without her partner to synchronize with. Near the end of the program, she launched herself into the axel, doing an extra rotation on accident, and crashed onto the ice just as her music came to a close.

           Allie, being the girl she was, immediately went onto the ice and held her hand out. “Here, let me help you,” she offered.

“No, let _me_ help _you,_ ” Maddie snapped, taking Allie’s hand and pulling her down onto the ice.

           “Woah, woah, woah, okay!” Tara called. “That’s enough. It looks like we have a new champion, Ms. Allison Davis of New York City! Shake hands, girls, come on.”

Maddie and Allie, who were turned with their backs to each other, hastily sighed and turned around, Maddie ripping off her bindi, her hair already out of place from her fall. Allie’s headband had fallen off when she was pulled down, and she had released the hair that had still stayed in her rubber band. The stubbornly stuck their hands out, squeezing the other’s, a chill going through their arms and up their spines.

           Everyone around them gasped. “Why’s everyone staring?” Maddie questioned.

“Don’t you see it?” Allie asked in disbelief.

           “See what?”

“The resemblance between us.”

           Maddie scoffed. “The resemblance. Between…you and me?” Allie nodded. “Hmm…let’s see…well your eyes are more of a greenish color, like Oscar from _Sesame Street_ , you could say…” Allie glared at her. “Your nose is…a little pointier than mine…and oh, God, your ears are so tiny! Well, if you wear your hair down I guess it’s okay.”

Allie rolled her eyes. “Are you done?”

           “Not quite. You want to know the _real_ reason between us?”

“Hmm…I can land an axel and you can’t, or I have sophistication and you don’t?”

           “Why you little—” Maddie lunged forward, but Johnny held her back.

“Okay, okay,” he reasoned, turning to Maddie. “Allie!” he turned to Allie. “Maddie!” he turned back to Maddie. “I mean, Maddie!” he looked back over to Allie. “Allie! Oh, Jesus Christ, I give up. You know what I mean. Just go back to your own bunks and stay there till the dance-off tonight.”

 

Maddie walked back to her cabin, her skates slung over her shoulder, Kaylie and Dana on either side of her.

           “Do we really look _that_ much alike?” she asked suddenly.

Dana looked to Kaylie before replying. “Uh…maybe? I don’t know. Maybe it’s all in your head.”

           “Yeah, maybe you're right. But, see! I told you there was someone here who looked like me!”

“True,” Kaylie admitted. “But then again, almost nothing gets past Johnny. I wouldn’t worry, though. I mean it’s not like you're related or anything.”

           “Yeah, thank _God,_ ” Maddie muttered, turning around to look at Allie, who was walking in the opposite direction with her friends. Unfortunately, Allie turned her head, and her eyes locked with Maddie's. There was just something about that girl that didn’t settle right in Allie’s gut.

* * *

 “And Allie does it again! Twenty-seven undefeated rounds!” Emily Lysacek announced. Allie smiled in her mother’s sparkly blue dress. “Which means…we’re going into death rounds. If anyone beats Allie now, it’s gonna come with a price.”

           “I’ll do it,” a voice came from the bleachers.

“And we have a taker!” Katie Bates exclaimed excitedly. “Maddie come on up!”

           Allie snorted. “I already beat you in the artistic runoff. Do you really want me to beat you in a dance competition, too? You know my mother won a dance trophy, right? And three Olympic medals?”

Maddie shrugged. “We’ll see if you're as good as she is.”

           Allie smiled slyly. “Okay, fine. What's your bet?”

“The ocean is supposed to be freezing tonight. Loser jumps into the water. From the dock.”

           “California ocean? Ooh, I hope you brought a swimsuit, White.”

“I didn’t, actually,” Maddie replied sarcastically. “I was hoping you had, though.”

           “I didn’t,” Allie said smugly.

“Oh, what a shame. Well, then I’ll cut you a deal. Loser jumps into the water, butt-naked.

           Allie sneered. “Oh, you're on.”

* * *

 The girls stepped away from each other before the music began playing, and they began dancing, pulling out every move they ever learned.

 

_What is this feeling?_

_So sudden and new?_

_I felt it the moment_

_I laid eyes on you:_

_My pulse is rushing:_

_My head is reeling:_

_My face is flushing:_

_What is this feeling?_

_Fervid as a flame,_

_Does it have a name?_

_Loathing_

_Unadulterated loathing_

_For your face_

_Your voice_

_Your clothing_

_Let's just say - I loathe it all_

_Every little trait, however small_

_Makes my very flesh begin to crawl_

_With simple utter loathing_

_There's a strange exhilaration_

_In such total detestation_

_It's so pure and strong!_

_Though I do admit it came on fast_

_Still I do believe that it can last_

_And I will be loathing_

_Loathing you_

_My whole life long!_

_What is this feeling_

_Loathing_

_So sudden and new?_

_Unadulterated loathing_

_I felt the moment_

_For her face, her voice_

_I laid eyes on you_

_Her clothing_

_My pulse is rushing Let's just say:_

_My head is reeling_

_I loathe it all!_

_Oh, what is this feeling?_

_Every little trait_

_Does it have a name?_

_Makes my very flesh_

_Begin to crawl_

_Loathing!_

_There's a strange exhilaration_

_Loathing_

_In such total detestation_

_Loathing_

_So pure, so strong_

_Loathing_

_So strong!_

_Though I do admit it came on fast_

_Still I do believe that it can last_

_And I will be loathing_

_Loathing_

_For forever loathing_

_Loathing_

_Truly deeply loathing_

_Loathing you_

_My whole Loathing_

_Life long_

_Unadulterated loathing_

After an intense few minutes, Katie and Emily made their way to the center to cast their vote.

            “I vote Allie,” Katie announced, and Allie crossed her arms, satisfied.

“Well, _I_ vote Maddie,” Emily declared.

            “We need a tiebreaker.”

“We do.”

            They turned to the crowd. “Okay! As a tiebreaker, the one who gets the most cheers from you wins,” Katie explained to the crowd.

Emily raised Allie’s arm into the air, and she got a good amount of cheers. Allie felt her stomach drop. Emily then raised Maddie's arm up, and the cheers doubled.

“I guess you can’t win them all, can you, Davis?” Allie rolled her eyes. “I would start unzipping if I were you. It'd be a shame if that dress got wet,” she said, a sly smile spreading on her lips.

* * *

 Allie took a deep breath, her toes curling around the edge of the dock. Turning around, she saluted Maddie, who stood at the front of the crowd, holding Allie’s clothes and a lantern. Maddie saluted back, and Allie slowly turned back towards the water, leaping in.

            “Come on, let’s go!” Maddie screeched excitedly, and the group dispersed quickly.

“Shit, shit, _shit,_ that’s cold!” Allie cried. “Dammit!” walking back up the dock to the tree stump, as she hugged her shivering body, she noticed only her black and white Nikes remained on the tree stump where she’d left her clothes. “That _bitch!_ ” she hissed. “Okay, White. You wanna play? Fine. What goes around comes around. Let the games begin.”


End file.
